Decemberween is Here Again!
by AMX
Summary: Parody of Christmas is Here Again! Join Rini, Luna-P, Zidane, Wall-E, Homestar Runner, and Strong Bad as they go on a journey to save Decemberween from the evil Klogg! Features characters from Sailor Moon, FF-IX, Homestar Runner, The Neverhood, and Wall-E
1. Prologue

**Author's Note**: Now, I'm a little wary about this story, so bear with me. This could either be another hit, or end up being one weird puppy of a fanfic. This story is based on this cute little animated Christmas movie I saw called _Christmas is Here Again! _I loved it so much; I _had _to write a story based on it. Also, one word of advice: if you don't know about the computer game _The Neverhood _or the website _Homestar Runner_, go to Wikipedia and YouTube and look them up before reading the story. If you don't, you might not know what's going on; characters from both series play big parts in the story. And…here I am, leaving a long Author's Note. So, I guess without further ado, (hopefully) happy reading! ;)-**AMX

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**Decemberween is Here Again!**

Prologue: He's the Decemberween Thnikkaman, and he'll make your dreams come true

Many years ago, there was a joyous holiday that occurred fifty-five days after Halloween. This holiday was known as Decemberween, and everyone loved it. It brought families together, homes were brightly decorated, and everyone seemed to be in a good mood. Everyone loved Decemberween.

But the best part of Decemberween was who came every Decemberween Eve. His name was the Decemberween Thnikkaman, a creature with a bright blue head and big teeth. He also had an orange body with flipper arms, a green belt, and gray legs and feet. On his head, he wore a pair of white sunglasses, and on his chest was a taped-on piece of paper with "tH" written on it in big, red letters. He flew through the night in an unmarked van, leaving presents for every person in the world. Everyone knew the Decemberween Thnikkaman, and every Decemberween, they sang carols about him.

_**He's the Decemberween Thnikkaman****  
And he'll make your dreams come true  
****No, there ain't no beatin' that holiday feelin'  
When he says "shut up" to you!**_

But there was one mystery surrounding the Decemberween Thnikkaman: how was he able to carry presents for every single person in the world?

The solution to the mystery was this: the Decemberween Thnikkaman had a special burlap sack he carried. It wasn't just any old burlap sack; it was rumored to be a sack originally created by Hoborg, a cubic, crown-wearing magician. The sack's seemingly mystical properties made it seem bottomless, which allowed the Decemberween Thnikkaman to carry presents for every person in the world with great ease.

There was a catch, though. The sack was the only way the Decemberween Thnikkaman could carry all those presents. He and his workers could make all the presents they wanted, but without the sack, Decemberween just couldn't happen. Of course, this had never been an issue before. Nobody had to worry about the sack disappearing.

Which made it all the more shocking when one year, the magical burlap sack _did_ disappear.

Well, not so much disappear as…it was stolen.

Not too many people know this, but near the center of this world is an inhabitant who wanted nothing more than to stop Decemberween. He is a red creature, with long claws, a horribly deformed face with mismatched eyes, and a tattered brown outfit. His name is Klogg. In actuality, Klogg also played a part in Decemberween: he and his minions, the Crit Units, were the suppliers of the coal given to naughty people. However, Klogg had been through a lot of Decemberweens throughout the years, and he was slowly realizing something: compared to the number of presents the Decemberween Thnikkaman was giving out, he was barely giving out any coal!

Needless to say, Klogg was a _little _upset by this revelation. And he decided that if he couldn't enjoy Decemberween, _nobody _could.

So, on year, on Decemberween Eve, before the Decemberween Thnikkaman was scheduled to take his flight, Klogg snuck into the Decemberween Thnikkaman's fabled workshop, quiet as a mouse…_and stole the fabled burlap sack_. Somehow, he was able to make it in and out of the workshop without being detected.

When the Decemberween Thnikkaman realized his special sack was missing, he was shocked. And he was at a loss. He had no idea who had taken the sack, and there was _no other way _to carry all the presents, except with the sack! How could Decemberween happen if the presents couldn't be delivered?!

Well, as it turned out…the Decemberween Thnikkaman _couldn't _figure out a way to deliver the presents. So, in short, Decemberween just didn't happen that year.

Which was exactly as Klogg planned.

The people expectedly waiting for the Decemberween Thnikkaman to appear that year were thoroughly disappointed. But, they didn't give up hope. The next year, they expectedly waited again.

But the Decemberween Thnikkaman still didn't show.

Year after year, everyone waited for the Decemberween Thnikkaman to appear to deliver presents for Decemberween. But year after year, he didn't come.

As the years went by, the Decemberween Thnikkaman figured out that Klogg was behind the disappearance of his burlap sack. But Klogg was not about to give the sack up; he was having too much fun!

The years began to pile up; soon, the years without Decemberween turned into decades. Before anyone knew it, a century had passed without Decemberween.

By this time, Decemberween was no longer celebrated. There were no more presents, no more Decemberween Thnikkaman, no motivation to be together.

The holiday of Decemberween was rendered nothing more than a legend.

And that's where our story _really_ begins…

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**A/N**: So, how is it so far? Any feedback is appreciated! ;)-**AMX**


	2. Chapter 1

**Author's Note**: Well…even I have to admit, that prologue was a little sketchy (thanks for your feedback, Mugiwara Gorillaz and Gijinka Renamon). But now I'm going to get into the main story, so hopefully this will help it regain its balance, so to speak. But that's the thing with ideas, right? They always sound so good in theory…Anyway, happy reading! ;)-**AMX

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Chapter 1: I wish Decemberween still existed… 

Now, near the supposed location of the Decemberween Thnikkaman's workshop (known as Free Country Area), there were a lot of distinct locations. The first was Mt. Idznak, a treacherous and huge mountain located behind the workshop, notorious for its horrible snowstorms; it was also the supposed location of where Klogg resided.

Also in the area was a very thick forest, called Mugen Forest, full of mostly pine trees (there were also deciduous trees, but not that many). If one wasn't careful, a person could easily get lost in there. Needless to say, it was not common for anyone to enter Mugen Forest.

However, our main story starts at one last significant location near Free Country Area.

---

Crossroads Village had been around for a long time; even before Decemberween stopped occurring, it was there. Over the years, some subtle changes had happened in the town; it was just as modernized as anyplace else around it. But other than that, it hadn't changed much over the years.

There was a residential area and a shopping district in Crossroads Village. However, the most noticeable building was located near the edge of the town, across from Mugen Forest: the Crossroads Village Orphanage.

The building itself was a large Victorian mansion; clearly large enough to house a group of children. A common scene at the orphanage was of the children playing outside, in front of the mansion.

And the morning of December 24 (known nearly a century ago as Decemberween Eve) was no exception. A good amount of snow on the ground was not going to stop those children from playing all day.

However, one of the residents of the orphanage returning did.

"Look!" one of the children suddenly called. "Rini's back!"

All the kids stopped playing and looked. At the front gate, a little girl was saying goodbye to a man and a woman. The man had short, slightly spiky brown hair and icy blue eyes; he was wearing a black leather jacket and black jeans. The woman had shoulder-length brown hair with light brown highlights, with dark-brown eyes; she was wearing a light blue winter outfit.

As for the little girl, she had bright pink hair put up in pigtails, and red eyes. She was wearing a pink winter outfit, and a pink and light-yellow backpack on her back. However, the most striking item the little girl had was in her right mitten-clad hand: a little, bright red cane.

As the man and the woman (who was waving at the little girl) walked away from the orphanage, the other children ran up to the little girl and began to bombard her with questions.

"Rini! How was it?"

"Are they really nice?"

"What did you do today?"

"Do you think they'll adopt you?"

The little girl, Rini, waited until the other kids calmed down a little more before speaking.

"Well…we went shopping all day today. Miss Rinoa let me buy any one thing I wanted, and she bought us all lunch. Mr. Squall still didn't say much, but he's still really nice. And I think he really likes Miss Rinoa…" She paused. "And…I really don't know if they want to adopt me. I'm pretty sure they both like me, especially Miss Rinoa. But…I can't help but think they're as nervous as I am…"

"What did you buy, Rini?" a little girl asked.

"Oh!" Rini took her backpack off her back, opened it, and pulled out a book. "I got this book. It's about this old holiday called Decemberween. I thought I would finish reading it now."

With that, Rini began to walk/limp over to the nearest bench, still carrying the book and her backpack. She set her things down on the bench, and then got on herself.

By this point, most of the children had gone back to playing. However, one little girl followed Rini to the bench.

"Rini, I wish you could play with the rest of us," said the little girl.

Rini looked at the girl. She gave a sad smile. "I wish I could, too," she said. "But as long as the rest of me is healthy, I'll be okay."

This answer seemed to satisfy the little girl, as she nodded and ran off to join the other kids.

As soon as the little girl was far enough away, Rini's smile faded. Then, she sighed. She took her backpack, and pulled two other things out. The first thing was a black robotic sphere shaped like a cat's head, with a crescent moon pointed up on its forehead, and an antenna coming out of the top of its head.

The second item was a small, golden heart-shaped brooch with a pink heart-shaped diamond on the front. Rini pushed a button on the top of the brooch, revealing a picture on the inside. The picture was of a woman with long, blonde hair in pigtails, wearing a white dress, and a tall dark-haired man wearing a black tuxedo. The woman was holding a small, pink-haired baby: Rini.

"Look, Luna-P," said Rini, holding the brooch toward the cathead robot. "Aren't Mommy and Daddy pretty in this picture?"

The robot, Luna-P, nodded.

Rini looked away from the picture, then down to her right leg; this was the leg that was partially crippled. According to Miss Gainsborough, the owner of the orphanage, Rini's leg had been that way since she was born; with proper care and exercise, there apparently was a chance that Rini's leg could get a little better, but this was still a very slim chance. Miss Gainsborough was also the person who told Rini about the car accident that had killed her parents. Miraculously, Rini, who had been just a year old at the time, survived the crash; she had lived in the orphanage ever since, and had been seven years old when Miss Gainsborough first told her what happened.

Rini was ten years old now. She'd been at the orphanage for a long time (at least to her). It wasn't that she didn't like the orphanage, the kids, or Miss Gainsborough; she just really wanted a family of her own. She really hoped Miss Rinoa and Mr. Squall would consider adopting her…

Unfortunately, while Rini's leg made her special, it also seemed to be the main reason nobody wanted to adopt her. Rini was a cute, well-mannered, likeable little girl. Everything about her was as close to "normal" as a child could be. So why would something as little as a slightly crippled leg make such a big deal.

This was more than Rini's ten-year-old mind could comprehend. She picked up the book again, and began to flip through the pages.

"Luna-P, do you know anything about Decemberween?" she asked the robot. It gave no response; Rini took that as a 'no.' "According to this, a long time ago, the Decemberween Thnikkaman would travel all over the world and deliver presents to each and every person. But then, a bad guy named Klogg stole the Decemberween Thnikkaman's special sack, causing Decemberween to stop happening because there was no way to deliver the presents." Rini sighed. "I wish Decemberween still existed. Then maybe I could ask the Decemberween Thnikkaman for my very own family…"

Rini flipped to the last page in the book. She suddenly noticed that there was a loose piece of paper after the last page. She picked it up, and saw that the loose piece of paper appeared to be some sort of map.

"Luna-P, look!" said Rini. The cathead robot moved closer. "This map has Crossroads Village on it!" She pointed to its spot on the map. "And according to this…on the other side of Mugen Forest is a place called Free Country Area…and that's where the Decemberween Thnikkaman's workshop is supposed to be!" Rini looked at Luna-P. "Do you think…this map is real?"

But before Luna-P could give a response, a sudden burst of icy wind shot through the area, jerking the map out of Rini's hands.

"Oh no!" Rini exclaimed, watching as the map sailed through the barred fence of the orphanage, across the street, and flying straight into Mugen Forest. Rini grabbed her book and her brooch and put them back in her backpack. She slung the bag onto her shoulders, grabbed Luna-P with her left hand, and took her cane with her right hand. "Come on!" Rini said, jumping off the bench. "We need to get that map back!"

However, just as Rini limped over to the fence and was about to squeeze through, something stopped her.

"Rini, where are you going?"

Rini looked back; it was the same little girl from before. She smiled. "Don't worry," she said. "I'll be right back. I just need to go get something."

With that, Rini squeezed through the bars with Luna-P and her cane.

The little girl could only watch as Rini hobbled down the sidewalk, crossed the street, and enter the dark-looking Mugen Forest.

But little did anyone know, Rini was about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime…


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: My brother would tell me he was alive when the last Decemberween happened

Because Rini couldn't walk properly without her cane, it was tough for her to maneuver in small places. So needless to say, walking through Mugen Forest was already going to be a feat for her to begin with. Trying to walk through Mugen Forest when there was a good amount of snow on the ground: that was near impossible.

However, Rini was, for some reason, hit with a strong wave of determination to get that map back. She weaved through the trees, gripping Luna-P in one arm and holding her cane in the other. She was using Luna-P to lock onto the direction in which the map had gone.

Luna-P chirped, and then turned to the right of where Rini was walking.

"That way?" Rini asked. Luna-P chirped in a way Rini took as a 'yes.'

Rini continued to trudge through the snow in the direction Luna-P was pointing. Finally, to her relief, she and her robot came to a small clearing in the woods. Rini looked around, but there was still no sign of the map.

"Oh…just how far away _is _it?" Rini asked out loud. "I hope we can find our way back to the orphanage after this…"

"Zidane? Zidane, is that you?"

Rini stiffened. "Oh no!" she whispered to Luna-P. "If someone finds out we just left the orphanage, we'll be in big trouble!" She looked around, searching for an appropriate hiding place.

But she needn't have bothered. Suddenly, a pair of hands reached out and grabbed Rini, pulling her into a nearby bush. Of course, Rini began to panic, until she saw who had grabbed her.

It was an older boy, wearing a light blue-green coat and pants, with light brown gloves and boots. He had blue-green eyes, and short blond hair, with one long part tied back into a ponytail.

The boy put a finger to his lips, signaling Rini to be quiet. All little Rini could do was nod.

Suddenly, a new figure emerged from the trees, entering the clearing Rini had been standing in only moments ago. It was a very feminine-looking person, with long flowing silver hair, wearing a long white coat and dark blue boots.

The person looked around the area, and seemed disappointed when they saw that nobody was seemingly there. They gave a frustrated sigh, then turned back the way they came through the trees.

The boy seemed relieved that the person had left. He and Rini stayed in the brush for a while longer. When it finally seemed like the person was a good distance away, the boy gently pulled himself and Rini out of the brush.

"Geez, that was close," the boy sighed. Then he turned to Rini; he looked like he knew he had done something wrong. "Uh…listen, I didn't want to do that. I just needed to make sure you didn't make any noise, you know?"

However, Rini didn't seem to upset. "Are you Zidane?" she asked.

The boy shrugged. "…Yeah," he finally said, sheepishly nodding.

"Why was that woman looking for you?" Rini asked next.

"Probably to take me back home," said Zidane. "Only…that 'woman' is actually my big brother, Kuja."

Rini started, visibly embarrassed. "I'm sorry…" she said.

"Don't be. He gets that a lot, actually," said Zidane.

"But then…why are you running from your brother?" asked Rini.

Zidane sighed. "Well…now that I think about it, it's really stupid, I guess," he said. "It's just Kuja and me. Dad's in the military, and he and Mom are separated. Kuja…he's got certain…problems…he has to deal with." Zidane seemed to be trying to explain this in a way that Rini could understand. "Basically, one minute he could be calm, and the next he'll be in a rage. We got into this argument the other night, and…Kuja just threw me out of the house." He shook his head. "You know, it's funny…I don't even remember what we were arguing about."

As Zidane talked, Rini listened with the wide-eyed innocence of someone her age. "But if it wasn't that important, why don't you go back and talk to him?"

Zidane sighed. "I don't know," he said. "It's just…this isn't the first time Kuja's blown his top like this. And even though it keeps happening, he refuses to admit he has a problem." He paused. "I guess I'm just getting tired of it."

"So…figure out some way to make it clear to him," said Rini.

"That's what I'm trying to do," said Zidane. "But until then…I just don't feel like facing him." He sighed. "You must think I'm a coward."

Rini shook her head. "No," she said. "I think you're lucky. I'd love it if my new family had a big brother in it."

"New family? What are you…?" Suddenly, Zidane's expression changed; he seemed to figure it out. "Oh…you're an…orphan?"

Rini nodded. "I live in the orphanage that's by these woods."

"Oh…" Zidane looked guilty. "Here I am, complaining about my family, and you don't even have one…I'm sorry, uh…"

"Rini," said Rini. "And don't be. Miss Gainsborough always tells us that even if a family doesn't always like each other, what matters is that they'll always love each other." She smiled. "Do you love your brother?"

Zidane gave back a small smile. "…Yeah," he said. "I guess at the end of the day, he _is _my brother…" He looked back at Rini. "But what's a kid like you doing in these woods?"

Rini suddenly remembered what she had been doing. "Oh!" she said. "Hey, have you seen a map fly by here? It's mine."

"A map?" asked Zidane. "…No, I haven't."

"Oh…" said Rini. "Well, at least I still have Luna-P to help me." She held her robot up for Zidane to see. "See? She can detect where the map went."

Suddenly, Luna-P perked up, and turned to point behind Zidane.

"What?" asked Rini. "It's that way?"

Luna-P seemed to nod.

"I guess we're going this way then," said Rini. She gave another smile to Zidane. "Good-bye. I hope you work things out with your brother."

Zidane watched as Rini began to limp in the direction Luna-P was pointing. "Wait," he suddenly said. He walked up to Rini and bent over, his back to her. "Get on."

Rini was genuinely surprised. "Really?" she asked.

"Why not?" asked Zidane. "I can't just abandon a lady who's on a mission."

Rini giggled. "Thank you, Zidane." That's when she noticed something else. "Oh! You have a tail?"

Zidane looked. Sure enough, poking out from under his coat was a long tail that was the same color as his hair. "Oh, yeah," he said. "Guess I forgot to mention that." As he talked, Rini limped over to him and climbed onto his back (she had hooked her cane onto her arm, and Zidane had taken Luna-P). "From what I've been told, it's somehow from Dad's side of the family. Kuja has a tail, too, but he hides it under his clothes. I don't think he likes it."

This time, it was Zidane who started to walk in the direction Luna-P was pointing, with Rini hanging onto his shoulders.

"So what's on this map, anyway?" asked Zidane.

"Well, it came with this book I got," said Rini. "It's about a legendary holiday called Decemberween. Have you ever heard of Decemberween, Zidane?"

"Oh, have I ever," said Zidane. "My brother would tell me he was alive when the last Decemberween happened. But as I got older, I began to realize that either Kuja was lying, or he found a _really_ good way to retain his youthful glow." He laughed. "I wonder what direction we're headed?"

"Well…" Rini looked around. "If I remember correctly, Luna-P and I entered the forest from that way…" She pointed to the right of them. "So I'm guessing we're heading toward the right of the forest."

"Let's hope you're right," said Zidane. "Everything in here looks the same."

"Hey!" said Rini, pointing in front of them. "I think I see it!"

The duo looked ahead of them. Sure enough, there was the map, caught in a branch.

Zidane squinted. "Hey, I think that's the end of the forest," he said.

Soon, the duo got to the map; Zidane plucked it off the branch and held it up.

"Huh," said Zidane. "If what you said is true, this would be the place where the Decemberween Thnikkaman's workshop is. But that's not what I'm seeing…"

"Zidane?" Rini suddenly asked. Then, she pointed to something else. "Look."

Zidane lowered the map and looked out at the area. His eyes widened. There, at the other end of the open area, was a large, colorful workshop that looked remarkably similar to the drawing of the Decemberween Thnikkaman's workshop on the map.

"No way…" he said.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: I stole the Thnikkaman's sack!

Rini and Zidane walked up to the little house in the large snow-covered area. According to Rini's map, this open field was known as Free Country Area. Which meant that this house belonged to the Decemberween Thnikkaman.

"Look at this place!" said Rini. "Isn't it cute, Zidane?"

Zidane shrugged. "Uh…I don't really like houses based on how 'cute' they are…" That's when he spotted something coming around from the side of the house. "Hey, what's that?"

The "something" that came around from the side of the house was a little cube-shaped robot, with an elongated neck that led up to a head with large lenses for eyes, short arms with three-fingered hands, and treaded belts to help it move.

"Oh…how cute!" said Rini.

However, the robot seemed startled by the sudden noise; its head, arms, and treaded feet retreated into its body.

"Oh…don't be scared!" said Rini, limping over to the robot. She held out Luna-P to him. "See? I've got a robot, too!"

The robot's head slowly peeked out from its body. He seemed to deem the situation okay, because its arms and feet slowly emerged after its head.

"W-wall…" the robot suddenly spoke. "WALL-E."

"EEE!" Rini squealed. "Look, Zidane! It talks!"

"Yeah…great…" said Zidane. "But…why would this robot be out here?"

"Hey, WALL-E! You got that walkway cleared yet?"

Rini and Zidane started at the new, gruff-sounding voice; they both turned toward the house. Standing in the doorway was a man with a light-blue head, an orange upper body, a green belt, a gray lower body, and white sunglasses covering his eyes.

Basically, the man exactly matched the picture of the Decemberween Thnikkaman in Rini's storybook.

The Decemberween Thnikkaman seemed just as surprised by Rini and Zidane. "Whoa…that's different."

---

"Well, I'll be!" the Decemberween Thnikkaman exclaimed. He was inside his house, looking at Rini's picture book. Rini and Zidane were sipping hot chocolate and eating PB&J sandwiches on his couch, thanks to one of the Thnikkaman's workers, Marzipan (who kind of looked like a walking broom with a blonde ponytail and a purple dress). WALL-E was sitting on the floor between them.

"I've got my own book out now!" the Thnikkaman continued.

"Yeah, there's a lot of books like that, actually," said Zidane. "I have to admit, I didn't think they were real when I was younger."

"Well, unfortunately…" said the Thnikkaman, flipping through the book. "Everything in here is what actually happened 100 years ago." He gave the book back to Rini.

"Everything?" asked Rini. "Even the part about that Klogg guy stealing your special sack?" She put the book back in her bag.

"Yep," said the Thnikkaman. "That sack really did belong to Hoborg, and it was the only way I could carry presents for every person in the world. Without that sack…" He shrugged. "Just couldn't happen."

"Have you tried talking to Klogg?" asked Rini. "Surely you could come to some agreement…"

"Oh, I'm all for talking to him," said the Thnikkaman. "It's Klogg who's not in any hurry to give up the sack."

"It may not seem like it, but Klogg can be very dangerous if he wants to be," said Marzipan, who had been listening nearby. "Plus, he lives at the top of Mt. Idznak, which can be very dangerous."

"Besides, it's Decemberween Eve," said the Thnikkaman. "For Decemberween to happen this year, the sack would have to be gotten back by midnight tonight. Like _that _could happen…"

"Okay!" said Rini, standing up. "I've decided! I'm going to get that sack back before midnight tonight!"

Everyone else in the room gave Rini a stunned look.

"Seriously?" asked the Thnikkaman.

"That's a first for us…" said Marzipan.

"Are you crazy?!" asked Zidane, jumping up. "You can't scale a mountain all by yourself!"

"Maybe not…" said Rini. But then she smiled. "But as long as I have you with me, I'll be okay. Right, Zidane?"

Zidane froze. "Uh…" He sighed. "I'm not going to get out of this, right?"

"Probably not," said Rini. "Besides, if we bring Decemberween cheer back, maybe it will be easier for you to talk you your brother!"

Zidane probably could have crumpled to the floor right then and there. But he didn't. "Great…" he mumbled.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" asked Marzipan. "We'd feel awful if you got hurt doing something for us…"

But Rini just smiled. "It's okay," she said. "Somehow, I know everything's going to be okay." With that, Rini began limping toward the door. "Come on, Luna-P!" She clutched her robot in her other arm.

Zidane sighed. "Well, I guess that settles that," he said. He turned to the Thnikkaman and Marzipan. "Don't worry. As long as I'm with Rini, she won't be getting hurt anytime soon."

"Hold on, kid," said the Thnikkaman. "WALL-E, you go with them."

The little robot started. "Hmm?" it hummed.

"If you're going to Mt. Idznak, at least do it with a clear path," said the Thnikkaman. "This little guy does wonders with my front walk."

WALL-E rolled up to Zidane. "Whoa," it said.

Zidane couldn't help but chuckle. "Why not?" he said. "We got plenty of quirks in our group already."

Zidane then followed Rini to the front door, along with WALL-E.

"Do you think they can get the sack back?" asked Marzipan.

"Do _you_?" asked the Thnikkaman.

"Hey, I asked first," said Marzipan. "But…I just can't help but think there's something special about that little girl."

"Oh," said the Thnikkaman. "Well, in that case, I do too."

Marzipan sighed. "Right," she said. "I think you need to practice your jolly presence for a while."

"Okay…" said the Thnikkaman.

---

"Hey, Rini…" said Zidane.

"Hmm?" she asked.

Rini and Zidane were walking through the snow, while WALL-E ploughed through before them, creating a clear path. They were headed straight for Mt. Idznak.

"Are you planning to ask the Thnikkaman for a family?" Zidane continued.

For the first time, Rini looked unsure. "Well…yeah," she said. "I don't mean to sound snotty, but sometimes it _is _a little frustrating to watch the other kids get adopted. A lot of families have considered me, but in the end, decided on another kid. Sometimes…it makes me sad. It's like all they see is my bad leg…"

Zidane patted Rini on the head. "Hey, don't worry," he said. "Some day, a family will come along who will like everything about you."

"You think so?" asked Rini.

"Of course," said Zidane. "Your charms worked with me, right?"

Rini gave a small smile. "Yeah," she said. Then, she paused again. "Zidane…do you think we can get the sack back?"

"Well…I don't know," said Zidane. "But we made a promise. It wouldn't be good to back out now, right?"

"I guess not," said Rini.

"Besides," Zidane continued, "with the people we have in our group, we're sure to come up with _something_. Now how about another smile? I don't like it when pretty ladies are sad."

This time, Rini gave a big smile. "Okay. Thanks, Zidane."

"No problem," Zidane answered. He smiled, too.

As they talked, WALL-E listened. It continued to make a path, straight for the menacing mountain ahead.

---

Unfortunately, somebody else was listening to the conversation. And this was thanks to a high-powered telescope on the top of Mt. Idznak, and an earphone system that was wired through the entire surrounding area. Both tubes led deep down under the Earth's crust.

"Give back the sack?" Klogg growled, as his Crit Units mined coal from the caves surrounding him. "I'd sooner wear pink! I'd rather square dance! In other words, it's never going to happen!" He gave a toothy, malicious grin.

"That's right. I stole the Thnikkaman's sack! And they'll never…get it…back! AH-HA-HA-HA!"


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Apology accepted, Stwong Bad!

"Geez…" Zidane muttered. "I can't believe a storm hasn't hit yet."

At this point, Rini, Zidane, and WALL-E were a good ways up Mt. Idznak. Rini was once again on Zidane's back, and WALL-E was still at the front of a group, slowly digging a way through the snow.

"Well…that's a good thing, right?" asked Rini. "Maybe that means we'll be able to get the sack back!"

"Yeah, maybe…" said Zidane. "But in order to get the sack, we'll have to get past Klogg first. How exactly are we supposed to do _that_?"

"Oh…yeah," said Rini. "Well…maybe there's someone on the mountain who can help us."

As Rini and Zidane talked, the group found their way to a flat clearing on the mountain, which beheld a bunch of large snow banks and a lone, bare tree.

"On the _mountain_?" asked Zidane. "Why would there be anyone living on the top of a mountain, _which_, I may add, is notorious for its horrible snowstorms?"

Now, even Rini was beginning to look hesitant. "Well…you never know?"

"Exactly," said Zidane, who stopped for a moment to reposition Rini on his back. "I'm starting to wonder why I agreed to this in the first place…"

THUMP!

"WHOA!"

Suddenly, WALL-E seemed to start; then, he turned right around and rolled behind Zidane's legs. And he and Rini immediately saw why; while clearing a path, WALL-E had run straight into one of the snow banks. Only…this one seemed _solid_. And it was _moving_. This caused Zidane to almost lose his footing, but he quickly regained balance when he remembered that Rini was on his back.

But as the snow bank moved, it was immediately made clear that it wasn't just a snow bank. It was a…_thing _covered with snow. It was a tall, white creature with _no arms_, wearing a red and blue cap, a red shirt with a large white star, and white shoes with blue soles.

The creature yawned, then looked at Rini, Zidane, and WALL-E. "Whoa…" it lisped. "Guess I fell asleep standin' up in the snow again. Fiwst time that's happened. Sewiously."

"That wasn't the first time!" a new gravelly and heavily accented voice protested. A new figure walked up to the group. It looked human, only he had a large, round head covered by a red and black wrestling mask which showed only his green eyes and mouth. He was not wearing a shirt, but _was _wearing red boxing gloves, black pants, and red shoes.

"Homestar, you fall asleep standing up in the snow, like, five times a day!" the man said to the white creature. "How do you think your skin got so white?"

"Oh, hey thewe, Stwong Bad," said the white creature, Homestar. "Say, have you seen these new guys?" He looked at Rini, Zidane, and WALL-E. "Maybe they'we snowmen!"

"Yeah, I saw 'em," said the man, Strong Bad. "And I also saw you scare the ever-loving crap outta them! Now say you're sorry."

"You'we sowwy," said Homestar.

Strong Bad's expression grew exasperated. "No no no, _I'm _sorry," he said.

"Apology accepted, Stwong Bad!" Homestar exclaimed.

"Ugh…" Strong Bad groaned. He turned to attention to Rini and her group. "So…what brings you guys to our _wonderful_ neck of Mt. Idznak?"

"We're looking for Klogg's lair," Rini spoke up. "Do you guys know where it is?"

"Klogg?" asked Homestar. "Do you have invitations? I didn't know he liked guests…"

"He doesn't," said Strong Bad. "Why the crap do you wanna talk to Klogg?"

"We're trying to get the Decemberween Thnikkaman's special sack back," said Rini. "And it's really important that we get it back before the day ends."

"Unfortunately, we came all the way up here without any idea as to how we can get the sack back," said Zidane.

"The Decembew-ween Thnikkaman?" asked Homestar. "I thought that guy was just a legend!"

"Hmm…" said Strong Bad. "Could you excuse us for a moment?"

Strong Bad led Homestar a few feet away from Rini's group.

"Hey, Homestar," Strong Bad whispered. "I got an idea to get us some easy profit."

"We'we gonna make snowshoes outta snow again?" asked Homestar. "I thought you said that was a tewwible idea…"

"Well, it _seemed _like a good idea at the time…" said Strong Bad. "But that's not what I'm talkin' about. Listen, I say we tell those guys we _do _know where the entrance to Klogg's lair is…"

"We know whewe Klogg's lair is?"

"Yes. I mean no! I mean…ugh, stop interrupting! Anyway, we have them give us something in exchange for showing them where Klogg lives. We lead them around in a circle for a while, have them close their eyes, then I'll hop on your back and you'll run like the wind outta there!"

Homestar laughed. "Stwong Bad, that's widiculous."

"What are you talkin' about? It's foolproof!"

"But wind can't wun! Evewyone knows that! How am I supposed to wun like the wind when wind can't wun?"

Strong Bad was once again becoming exasperated. "O-kaaaay…then…blow like the wind! Can you do _that_?"

Homestar smiled. "Oh, sure!" he said. "I can blow like the wind weal good!"

Strong Bad sighed. "Okay," he said. "So as long as we stick with the plan, and you keep your _big mouth_ shut, we'll be fine."

"Gotcha, Stwong Bad," said Homestar.

The two walked back to Rini's group; while they had been waiting, Zidane had taken Rini off his back.

"Well, now that you mention it, we _do _know where Klogg lives," said Strong Bad.

"Really?!" asked Rini.

"Yep," said Strong Bad. "Of course, you'll have to make it worth our while…"

Zidane's face deadpanned. "Hold on," he said. "You're saying the only way you'll show us where Klogg lives is if we _give _you something?"

"Nifty, huh?" asked Homestar.

"Will this do?"

Zidane and WALL-E started. Rini was holding out her heart-shaped brooch to Strong Bad, clutching Luna-P in her other arm.

"Rini, don't give anything to them!" Zidane protested.

"It's okay," said Rini. "As long as we can get that sack back in time, I don't mind."

"Works for me," said Strong Bad, taking the brooch. "Onward!" He whirled around and began walking in a random direction (at least to him).

"Ooh! Follow the leadew!" said Homestar, following Strong Bad.

Rini, WALL-E, and Zidane (who was still not-too-happy about Strong Bad's deal) followed Homestar and Strong Bad further up the mountain. Of course, to Zidane's sharp eyes, it seemed like they were going nowhere fast. But just as he was about to voice his opinion of Strong Bad…

"We're here!" said Strong Bad.

Rini, Zidane, and WALL-E looked around. They were in another clearing, with another bare tree, but no snowdrifts.

Zidane sighed. "So…what?" he asked. "Is there a secret door or something?"

"Uh…yeah!" said Strong Bad. "But in order to flip the switch, we need you guys to cover your eyes. So, uh…it stays a secret, you know?"

Rini (who had put down Luna-P) and WALL-E immediately covered their eyes, but Zidane was clearly a little hesitant. But, he ultimately covered his eyes too.

"I'm guessing it won't be too hard to find that switch?" Zidane asked.

"Oh, we're finding it," said Strong Bad, who was walking over to Homestar. "Don't worry." He got onto Homestar's back…only to find that Homestar had his eyes covered as well. "Homestar, don't cover _your _eyes," he said, lowering his voice to a whisper.

Homestar opened his eyes. "Oh, hey Stwong Bad," he whispered. "When'd you get up thewe?"

"Never mind that," said Strong Bad. "Do you remember what you're supposed to do?"

"Oh, yeah," said Homestar.

"Well, go on! Do it!" said Strong Bad, bracing himself for the cold wind.

But instead, all he heard was rapid inhaling and exhaling. He looked down at Homestar in confusion, only to find him breathing at a fast pace.

"Homestar! What the crap are you doing?!" Strong Bad ground through clenched teeth.

"I'm blowin' like the wind," Homestar answered. "Just like you told me, Stwong Bad."

"Oh for…" Strong Bad groaned.

In fact, Strong Bad and Homestar were so wrapped up in their conversation, they didn't notice that Luna P was scanning the nearby tree; it noticed that one of the branches wasn't wood; it was a mixture of stone and metal. Luna-P hopped over to the tree, jumped up, and threw itself against the odd branch. To its surprise, the branch clicked away from the tree, thanks to the hinges that were attached to it.

This had an immediate reaction.

The next thing Rini, Luna-P, Zidane, WALL-E, Strong Bad, and Homestar knew, a hidden door snapped open under their feet, sending them down a hole that led deep into the Earth itself…along with a good amount of fluffy white snow.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Homestar, for the last time, I'm not a freakin' rat!

Rini, Luna-P, Zidane, WALL-E, Homestar, and Strong Bad landed in a heap in a room _deep_ within the Earth's crust. Once again, Zidane held Rini close to him so she wouldn't get hurt; she and Luna-P were now on top of Zidane. Meanwhile, both WALL-E and Homestar had landed on top of a not-so-lucky Strong Bad.

"Hey, that wasn't so bad!" said Homestar. "The ground is suwpwisingly soft down hewe."

"Gosh, I wonder why?" asked Strong Bad, knocking WALL-E and Homestar off him. "So, uh…yeah," he said, standing up. "You see? I told you I knew what I was doing!"

"Yeah…almost too good to be true," said Zidane, picking himself and Rini up.

"Wow!" Rini suddenly gasped. Everyone else looked around, and saw what had caught Rini's attention; the room they had landed in was full of assorted jewels!

"Ooh…" said WALL-E.

"Hey, spawkly," said Homestar.

"These must be the jewels Klogg and his cronies dig up when they mine coal," said Zidane.

"Hmm?" WALL-E asked. It wheeled over to a nearby sign. It was a picture of a diamond covered with a red circle with a line through it.

"That must mean 'don't touch'," said Rini.

"Good enough for me," said Zidane. "Let's just get the sack and get out of here…"

"Hey, why is the gwound shaking?" Homestar asked.

"Uh…beats me," said Strong Bad. "Maybe it's 'cause you fell on your head. At least there's nothing to hurt in there…"

Suddenly, a giant rock broke off one of the walls, falling and nearly hitting WALL-E.

"Something tells me it's not just him!" Zidane yelled, grabbing Rini. More rocks began falling from the ceiling.

WALL-E was the first to spot the opening in the wall, and began to zip towards it. He was followed by Homestar, Strong Bad, and Zidane (who was carrying Rini and Luna-P).

Just as they got out of the cave, the whole room seemed to collapse in on itself, blocking the hole.

There was a short silence. Then…

"I don't think we'll be going out that way," said Rini.

"What happened?" asked Zidane. "Did anyone touch anything?"

WALL-E shrugged, while Homestar's expression remained blank. Rini shook her head 'no.'

Strong Bad, on the other hand, appeared to be hiding something behind his back.

"What?" he asked.

Surprisingly, it was Homestar who took action; he picked Strong Bad up (with apparently _invisible _arms) and gave him a good shake.

A lone red diamond landed on the ground.

Homestar dropped Strong Bad onto the ground. When Strong Bad stood back up, he was met with five angry stares (including the slightly expressionless stares from Luna-P and WALL-E).

"Uh…I thought it just meant the _big_ diamonds…" Strong Bad feebly tried to explain.

Zidane walked right up to Strong Bad. "Okay, look," he said. "While I am glad you got us here, I'm serious. I don't want to be here any longer than we have to, and I definitely don't want anyone hurt just because _you _want to do something stupid. If all you're going to do is mess around, we'll just leave you here right now."

"Ooh, hawsh," said Homestar.

"Uh, okay, okay," said Strong Bad. "I…shouldn't have done that. But if you guys _really _want that sack, you _can't _leave me behind. I know where the sack is!"

"You do?" asked Rini.

"You do?" asked Homestar.

"Yes, I do!" said Strong Bad. He turned around, causing everyone else to look as well. In front of them was a very thin-looking bridge over a river of lava. "All we gotta do is cross that bridge, and it's a short walk to the sack! We'll be in and out in no time."

Rini looked at the bridge. "That bridge doesn't look very stable," she said. "Can we all get across it?"

"Oh yeah," said Strong Bad. "As long as we all run across, we can make it before the bridge gives out." He then climbed onto Homestar's back.

"Why am I not surprised?" Zidane mumbled. He bent over so Rini could climb onto his back. He then picked up WALL-E, and crouched down in front of the bridge. Homestar crouched behind him. "On three, okay?"

"Just thwee?" asked Homestar. "No go?"

"Right," said Zidane. "One…two…THREE!"

Zidane began to sprint across the bridge, Homestar hot on his heels. And sure enough, the bridge was crumbling right behind them. Zidane was just able to make it to the other side; Homestar, on the other hand, had to jump forward and perform a mid-air somersault in order to land safely.

"Alwight!" said Homestar. "Did that tickle youw fancy, Stwong Bad?"

"It tickled my gag reflex," said Strong Bad, climbing off Homestar's back. "Now then…the cave with the sack is around here somewhere…"

Rini, Zidane, WALL-E, and Homestar followed Strong Bad until they came to another small cave that was near the path.

The group looked inside the new cave, and saw two main components: the cave was full to the brim of coal lumps…and in the middle of the cave, sitting on top of a jutting rock, was the Decemberween Thnikkaman's sack!

"There it is!" said Rini. She limped into the small cave.

"Awe these mowe diamonds?" asked Homestar, looking around. "They awen't vewy pwetty…"

"It's coal," Zidane corrected. "Looks like he's got enough of it."

The group began to crowd around the sack.

"Not to try and jinx us or anything," said Rini, "but you'd think Klogg would be guarding it more carefully…"

Then, _of course_, just as Rini said that, Crit Units armed with small spears suddenly filled up the room, most of them emerging from the coal piles. The next thing the group knew, they were surrounded.

"Like this, you mean?" asked Zidane, pulling Rini close to him.

Then, to add insult to injury, Klogg walked into the room, big fat smirk plastered on his face.

"Hmm…" he said. "Well, I'll admit, I didn't expect you to get this far…but I guess I have my little _insider_ to thank for that."

"Ah, that's my cue," said Strong Bad. With that, he _walked over next to Klogg_.

Rini and Homestar were genuinely shocked; Zidane started, but wasn't _too _surprised; as for WALL-E, he had retreated into his body when the Crit Units appeared, so he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

"Wasn't expecting your guide to be a two-timing _rat_, eh?" Klogg sneered.

"Well, I actually wasn't too fond of him from the start," said Zidane.

"Stwong Bad!" said Homestar. "I can't believe it! Why didn't you tell me you wewe a wat? You told me you wewe a wrestlew!"

Strong Bad deadpanned. "Homestar, I'm not _really _a rat," he said. "I needed some extra profit, and…this guy gave it to me."

"Take these pests to the holding cages," Klogg ordered his Crit Units. "This sack isn't going anywhere as long as I'm around."

As Rini (who was holding Luna-P), Zidane, and Homestar (who had picked up WALL-E) were being led away by the Crit Units, Rini couldn't help but look back at Strong Bad.

"Strong Bad," she whispered just loud enough for the wrestler to hear. "You promised to help us…"

For some reason, that comment seemed to make a beeline for Strong Bad's heart, and he suddenly found himself feel a foreign emotion in his gut. Was that…_guilt_?

"Oh, don't worry about them," said Klogg. "They won't be a bother to us anymore."

"Uh…right," said Strong Bad. "Anyway, where's _my _end of the deal?"

"All in good time, my friend," said Klogg. '_More like never,_' he added in his head. "But now that there's nobody else in my way, I can go back to monitoring the coal mines in peace."

Without another word, Klogg exited the cave, leaving Strong Bad alone with the sack.

Strong Bad sighed. "Well, at least I scored this thing…" he said, taking out Rini's brooch. But as he did, he pushed the button on the top that opened the brooch. "What the…?" asked Strong Bad. Then, he saw the picture inside the locket: a dark-haired man and a blonde-haired woman holding a pink-haired baby.

The baby was Rini.

The pang of guilt Strong Bad felt before suddenly came back in a crushing tidal wave.

"Oh…holy crap."

---

Meanwhile, Rini, Luna-P, Zidane, WALL-E, and Homestar had been placed in a cage somewhere else in the area full of cave after cave. WALL-E was tugging at the cage bars, perhaps thinking if it tugged hard enough, they could get free. However, WALL-E couldn't maintain its grip and went flying to the back of the cage. But it wasn't deterred; WALL-E picked itself up and went right back to the bars and began tugging on them again.

Meanwhile, Zidane was fuming. "I can't believe I let that backstabbing traitor stay with us!" he exclaimed. "I _knew_ there was something I didn't like about him."

Instead of angry, Rini was just sad. "But…why would Strong Bad _lie _like that?" she asked.

"Hey, don't feel bad, guys," said Homestar. "I'm just as shocked as you guys. I had no idea Stwong Bad was weally a wat. I always thought he was Stwong Bad!"

"Homestar, for the last time, I'm not a freakin' rat!"

Everyone looked up. On the other side of the cage, with the magic sack slung over his shoulder, was Strong Bad.

"So, you decided to come cwawling back, you westler…wat…thing!" said Homestar. "Finally decided the guilt wasn't worth it, eh?"

"Hey, keep your voice down!" said Strong Bad. "You want Klogg to come marchin' in here?" He then noticed the disapproving glances from Rini, Zidane, and WALL-E. "And…you guys are totally mad at me, aren't you?"

Rini got up and limped over to the cage bars. "I'm not mad," she said. "But…why'd you do that, Strong Bad?"

"Uh…look…uh…" Strong Bad stammered. "I…I guess I can't really explain _why _I did it, other than I wanted money. But…I guess the more I thought about it, I realized that I promised I wouldn't cause trouble, and I ended up doin' it, which wasn't fair to you guys…and…well…I'msorry." The last part was said very quickly, and disguised with a cough, but it was still heard.

"Aww…" said Homestar. "Stwong Bad loves us!"

"Don't push it, okay?" Strong Bad asked as he took out a set of keys from his pocket and used them to unlock the cage. "So?" he asked, opening the cell door. "Not bad for a double agent, eh?"

"Not bad for a _fired_ double agent."

Everyone stopped dead in their tracks. Klogg was standing right behind Strong Bad, and Crit Units were beginning to file in behind Klogg.

Klogg sighed. "Well, I guess I should be glad I wasn't really planning on paying you for your trouble," he said. "Not that that matters now."

"You _what_?!" asked Strong Bad. Then, he thought for a moment. "Actually…that works perfectly. You set me up, I set you up. I'd say that's a fair trade."

Now Klogg deadpanned. "Right," he said. Suddenly, he lunged forward, aiming right at Strong Bad. "GIMME THAT SACK!"

"Noooooooo!" a sudden metallic voice chirped.

While everyone else's focus had been on Strong Bad and Klogg, nobody had noticed little WALL-E rearing back to launch himself into the air. The next thing everyone knew, WALL-E was sailing right past Strong Bad's head and flying straight toward Klogg's face.

"SON OF A—"

That was all Klogg could get out before WALL-E slammed into him, knocking the evil creature into his Crit Unit army. It was pretty impressive: in one move, WALL-E had managed to cause complete chaos on Klogg's side.

"Uh, I'd say that's our cue to vamoose," said Strong Bad. He began to run down another path, sack still in hand. Zidane (who had grabbed Rini and Luna-P) and Homestar (who had grabbed WALL-E) sprinted after him. Behind them, Klogg and the scattered Crit Units were gathering their bearings and beginning to chase after the group.

"Where exactly are we going now?!" Zidane yelled as they ran.

"Listen, I may have been trying to play you guys before," said Strong Bad, "but Klogg has passageways that lead to the surface all over the mountain! And I know where all of them are. I'm leading us to an area where you guys can easily get back down the mountain!"

"Whoo!" said Homestar. "Field twip!"

"But how are we going to stop Klogg?!" Rini called.

"Already thought of it!" Strong Bad called back. At this point, the group had arrived at a set of stair-like rocks that appeared to go all the way up to the surface. "But first we gotta get back up to the surface!"

The group kept on running, straight up the stair-like rocks and through the disguised door that led to the surface; unfortunately, Klogg and the Crit Units were still right behind them.

"If you'd like to explain your plan, now's the time!" Zidane said to Strong Bad.

"Oh…okay," said Strong Bad.

With that, Strong Bad held the magic sack over the opening in the ground, and turned it upside-down.

Without warning, a large stream of coal came pouring out of the sack, flowing through the opening; faintly, the sound of Klogg and the Crit Units falling down the stairs could be heard. Soon, the coal must have completely blocked the pathway, because a pile began to form over the opening, because it quickly became bigger and bigger and BIGGER.

By the time the sack was empty, a huge pile of coal towered over the group.

"Hey! A new mountain peak!" said Homestar. "But why's it all black?"

"Before I brought the sack to you guys, I decided it'd be a good idea to fill it with Klogg's entire coal supply," said Strong Bad. "Good thing I did. Now…you guys gotta get outta here before Klogg comes up through one of the other entrances. So…there it is!"

Strong Bad walked over to a nearby hollowed-out half of a log.

"Hey!" said Homestar. "It's that sled we found!"

"Homestar and I found this a long time ago, and he uses it a sled sometimes," said Strong Bad. "You guys should be able to get down the mountain quickly with this."

"Aww…" said Homestar.

Rini smiled. "Thank you Strong Bad!" she said.

"Not that I don't mind you suddenly helping us," said Zidane, "but why the sudden change of heart?"

"Well…" said Strong Bad. "I guess I wouldn't mind if Decemberween happened again."

With that, Strong Bad handed the sack to Rini.

"Ooh, pwetty sunset," Homestar said suddenly.

Everyone looked. Sure enough, the sun was beginning to inch down behind the mountain.

"Oh no!" said Rini. "We're running out of time!"

"Guess this is our only option," said Zidane. He placed Rini, Luna-P, and WALL-E into the log-sled, and then got in himself. "Uh…" He turned to Strong Bad and Homestar. "Thanks for everything. Is there any way we can pay you back?"

"Just get that sack back in time," said Strong Bad. "I've been wantin' to ask the Decemberween Thnikkaman for a Grabbo-Arm…"

"Ooh, and I could ask for a new sled!" said Homestar.

With that, Zidane pushed himself, Rini, Luna-P, WALL-E forward, and they began to slide down the hill. As they disappeared over the horizon, Rini and WALL-E waved goodbye to Homestar and Strong Bad.

After Rini and her group completely disappeared down the mountain, Homestar spoke up again. "So, uh…what do we do now, Stwong Bad?" he asked.

"Well…" said Strong Bad. "My guess is Klogg is about to get to one of the other passages on the mountain, so…we'll either need to bury ourselves in the snow for a while, or find a large obscure cave up top to hide in."

With that, Strong Bad began to walk back into the mountain.

"Yay! Hide and Seek!" said Homestar. He then followed Strong Bad back into the mountain.


	7. Chapter 6, Epilogue

Chapter 6: Rini…I have good news.

The Decemberween Thnikkaman was standing outside his workshop, watching as the sun was inching more and more behind the horizon. Each inch that ticked by, he couldn't help but feel anxious. He heard someone else come outside behind him; he turned around and saw Marzipan on the porch.

"It's almost 11:00," said the Thnikkaman. "You think they could make it on time?"

"Well, I wouldn't get my hopes up _too _high," said Marzipan. "But I also wouldn't rule it out completely."

"I gotta admit," said the Thnikkaman, "those kids have actually brought my hopes back up. I sure hope they can make it in time…"

As soon as the Thnikkaman said that, there was a sudden **FWOOSH **sound over to the side of himself, followed by a small wave of snow. When the snow cleared, the Thnikkaman and Marzipan saw Rini, Luna-P, Zidane, and WALL-E sitting in a makeshift sled made out of half a log.

And the even bigger shocker: Rini was holding the magic sack!

"We found it!" Rini exclaimed. She hopped out of the sled and limped up to the Decemberween Thnikkaman, handing him the sack. "And we just made it!"

"Hot dog!" said the Thnikkaman. "It _is _the sack! Then there's not a second to lose!" He tossed the sack to Marzipan. "Marzipan! You and the other helpers start stuffing this thing pronto!"

"I'm on it!" said Marzipan, scurrying inside with the sack.

The Decemberween Thnikkaman turned back to Rini, Luna-P, Zidane, and WALL-E. "Well…I'm not sure how you did it, but you did it," he said.

"Quite honestly, I'm not sure how we did it myself," said Zidane.

"We found these two guys who lived up on the mountain, and they took us to Klogg's lair, and we were able to stop Klogg and get the sack back!" said Rini.

"Up on the mountain?" asked the Thnikkaman. "That's a new one…" He trailed off. But then he started up again. "But anyway, I owe you guys a lot. So…before I take off, is there anything special you want for Decemberween?"

Rini's eyes widened.

Zidane gently nudged her forward. "Rini, tell him!" he urged.

So Rini limped up to the Decemberween Thnikkaman and whispered something in his "ear" (not that they were visible). As the Thnikkaman listened, his expression turned to puzzled.

"Oh, uh…" The Decemberween Thnikkaman looked disappointed with himself as Rini pulled away. "Well, you see…I'm real sorry, but…there's even so much I can do. And…I can't really give you that. I was thinkin' more along the lines of a new doll, or a nice dress…"

"Oh…" Rini was visibly disappointed.

"I'm really sorry," said the Thnikkaman. "If I could do it, I would…like I said, I owe you a lot…"

Rini gave a sad smile. "It's okay," she said. "At least now there will be plenty of Decemberweens for me and everyone else. So…I think I've got plenty of time to ask for those things."

The Decemberween Thnikkaman sighed. "Well…I hope someday you're able to get what you really want, with or without my help. But right now…I gotta get my truck ready! This is the first Decemberween we've had in a while, and I want it to be big!" He looked at WALL-E. "Come on, WALL-E. I need your help, too!"

With that, the Decemberween Thnikkaman began to walk back to his workshop. WALL-E began to follow him, but turned to Rini, Luna-P, and Zidane one last time.

"Bye-bye!" it said, waving its arms.

Rini and Zidane waved back. Then, with nothing else to do, they began walking back to the general direction of Crossroads Village.

Zidane looked at Rini and noticed that she seemed a little sad. "You okay?" he asked.

Rini, who had been hugging Luna-P with her free arm, looked up. "Well…I know I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up, but…it would have been nice."

"Yeah, it would have," Zidane answered. "But…hey, we _did _get that sack back. So now a lot more people are going to be happy in the morning."

Finally, Rini smiled. "Yeah, we did," she said. "And now…" She looked at Zidane expectantly.

Zidane sighed. "All right, all right…" he said. "I'll go home and talk to my brother. I guess I made a promise, didn't I?"

"Mmm-hmm," Rini replied. "And…I wouldn't mind if we saw each other again."

Zidane sighed again. "You know… I wouldn't mind that either."

By this time, Rini and Zidane were back in the village, and the orphanage was nearby.

"Well…I guess this is your stop," said Zidane.

"I guess it is," said Rini, proceeding to limp toward the main gate. Then, as a last thought, she gave one last glance to Zidane. "Happy Decemberween."

Zidane gave a small wave. "Happy Decemberween," he replied. He then continued his walk towards the center of the village.

Rini and Luna-P squeezed through the main gate of the orphanage, and Rini limped up to the front door. She slowly opened the door and snuck inside as quietly as she could. However, she needn't have bothered; someone had been waiting for her.

"Rini!" Miss Gainsborough exclaimed, running to the girl. She bent down and gave Rini a tight hug. "Where have you been? Are you all right?"

"I, uh…" Rini tried to form a sentence. "I'm fine…"

"Rini, what _happened_?" Miss Gainsborough asked. "One of the girls told me you went off into the woods. I've been looking for you all day!"

"I…I got this new book, and it had a loose piece that flew out and went into the woods," Rini answered. "I just went to look for it. I didn't think it'd take so long…"

Miss Gainsborough sighed. "All right, all right…" she said. "It sounds like we've both had a crazy day. I'm sure we can talk about everything in the morning. But…there is one thing I want to tell you that I don't think can wait."

"What is it?" asked Rini, suddenly curious.

"Well, while you were gone, Mr. and Mrs. Leonhart called."

"You mean Miss Rinoa and Mr. Squall?" asked Rini. "What did they want?"

Miss Gainsborough smiled. "Rini…I have good news."

At that moment, the grandfather clock that happened to be in the room struck twelve. It was now December 25.

And the first Decemberween Day in 100 years.

Epilogue: One year later…

Rini Leonhart sat on a bench in the middle of the shopping district, waiting for her new parents to return from the bookstore. It was Decemberween Eve, and they were doing the last of their shopping before the next day. Her robot cathead, Luna-P, rested on her lap.

Just then, a familiar blond-haired boy sat down next to Rini on the bench.

"Hey," said Zidane.

"Hey," said Rini.

"What are you doing here?" Zidane asked.

Rini gave a big smile. "Shopping," she said. "With my new parents. Tomorrow will be the first-year anniversary of when they told me they wanted to adopt me."

Zidane smiled, too. "Sounds like you got your Decemberween present after all," he said.

Rini nodded. "I'm guessing you and your brother are okay now?"

Zidane sighed. "Yeah," he said. "As long as I remind him to take the new medicine he's on, there's no more mood swings. But the fact that he always wants to be the center of attention hasn't changed much."

"Well, it could be worse, right?" Rini asked.

Zidane gave a sideways smile. "Yeah, I guess it could."

Rini looked up at the darkening sky. "Do you think he's taken off yet?"

Zidane looked up, too. "Maybe," he said. "But if he has, I think we'd know about it."

"Can you believe we actually were able to start back up a holiday that hadn't been celebrated in nearly a hundred years?" Rini asked.

"Not really," said Zidane. "Who knows? Maybe we'll end up in the history books one day."

Rini giggled. "Well…you never know," she said.

At that moment, Rini and Zidane caught sight of an unmarked van flying through the sky. Suddenly, the air was filled with an exclamation that had last been properly heard for nearly a century:

"YEAH, SHUT UP! TO ONE AND ALL O' DANG Y'ALL!"

The End

* * *

** Author's Note**: Well…I'll admit, this story turned out a little differently than what I had originally envisioned. I planned to have this story done by Christmas, but I soon realized that wasn't going to happen. So…I decided to get it done before New Year's Eve. And I did! To everyone who actually read and reviewed this story, thanks. So now…I think I'll do a little hibernating for a while. I'll probably be back, say, the later half of January. So until then, good night, Happy New Year, and happy reading! ;)-**AMX**

**Coming Soon**: _Kingdom of Earth: Chain of Memories_


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